Key pulsing register circuit



Dec. 22, 1942.

R. o. soFFE'L.v

KEY PULSING REGISTER CIRCUIT Filed June 19, 19741 n n a N FIL N N h hulll /Nl/ENTOR /By Q. SOFFEL @a ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1942 UNITEDSTATES TENT OFFICE KEY PULSING REGISTER CIRCUIT York Application June19, 1941, Serial No. 398,745

Claims.

This invention relates to telephone exchange systems,` and moreparticularly to circuits for enabling the registration of digits at adistant point through the operation of digit keys. A circuit of thischaracter is applicable for enabling the operator at a manual orsemimechanical switchboard position to set up on the registers of acommon sender the registration of the digits of a Wanted subscribersnumber whereby the sender may be enabled to proceed in accordancetherewith to control selector switches to establish a desiredconnection.

Heretofore, key pulsing circuits of this general character have beenemployed, as disclosed in Patent No. 1,780,906 granted to W. W.Carpenter and R. E. Hersey on November 11, i930, to enable a tolloperator to complete connections over panel dial switching equipmentand, as disclosed in Patent No. 1,916,760 granted to I. H. Henry on July4, 1933, to enable an A switchboard operatorto complete connections overstep-by-step type equipment. In these circuits the registers of thesender are set from the operators key-set through the application, incode combinations, of currents of two strengths and of either negativeor positive potential over one or both of the two control conductorswhich extend from the operators position to the sender. At the sender,three impulse-responsive relays are connected serially in each controlconductor, one being polarized, one being marginal to current of eitherpolarity and a third being sensitive to current of either polarity. Forthe selective operation of the impulse-responsive relays, batteries ofopposite potential are required at both the operators key-set and at thesender and the relays require careful adjustment because of the currentmargins utilized for their selective operation.

The present invention has for one of its objects the employment of a keypulsing system whereby a satisfactory marginal operation is obtainedwithout the employment of marginal relays, thereby permitting successfuloperation over longer control circuits.

A further object of the invention is the utilization upon each of thetwo signaling conductors of a combination of a three-position polarizedrelay and a gaseous conducting tube whereby one or both are operated inresponseto the application of appropriate potentials to the conductorsby the depression of the keys at the key-set which control saidpotentials.

A still further object of the invention is the provision ofimpulse-responsive apparatus of such a character that correct operationmay be assured with very short key closures.

In accordance with the present invention, use is made of a polarizedrelay in each of the two control conductors, said relay having anarmature capable of assuming three positions, namely, a neutralposition, a left and right contacting position, whereby said armaturemay be caused to engage either of two contacts or none depending uponthe electrical condition of the conductor to which the winding of therelay is connected. Further, use is made of a gaseous conducting tube asan impulse-responsive relay in parallel with said polarized relay. Thegaseous conducting tube so employed is one which is lled with a lowpressure gaseous content which, for purposes of illustration, might beneon, argon, helium, mercury vapor or combinations of gases of this ygroup. The tube has the characteristic that its gaseous content willbecome ionized and thus conducting on one potential determined by theelectrical design of its electrode, the nature oi the gaseous contentand its pressure, and will remain conducting on a much lower potentialthan that which originally caused the production ol conductivity. Asdisclosed, each tube is of the cold cathode type, that is, one in whichthe cathode thereof is normally not in the electron emission state, butit is obvious that a tube of the hot cathode type in which the filamentheated by a direct current causes the cathode to be normally emittingmight equally well be employed Each tube functions as an ionic relay toestablish an operating circuit for another relay that controls theoperation of still other relays in a series of registers. The relayassociated with each tube may be of simple, ecient design since it isnot required to be selective to current margins or reversal of potentialover the control circuit extending from the key-set.

For the purpose of illustration, the 'invention `is disclosed withrespect to a signaling system in which a key-set having ten depressiblekeys has connected to it two oppositely poled batteries and a ground forthe transmission over two line conductors connected to the keys of acombination of two potentials for each digit according to apredetermined code. E'ach of the two conductors terminates in a sourceof potential through the winding of a three-position polarized relay inparallel with which is connected the anode of a gaseous conducting tubewhose anode-cathode circuit iscompleted through a relay device. Thearmatures of both polarized relays are connected to a suitable group ofsteering relays the number of which is determined by the design of thesteering circuit and the number of digits which are to be registered insuccession, while certain of the contacts with which the armatures ofthe polarized relays make in one of their respective two positions ofoperation (excluding the neutral position in which the amature is out ofengagement with either contact), and the contacts of the two relaysconnected to the respective cathodes of each of the two gaseousconducting tubes, are connected through the contacts of the steeringrelays to successive groups of register relays. The relays in each oftheA groups of registers are then set in accordance with the activationof each of the control conductors as determined by the potentialsapplied thereto through the depression of the keys of the key-set andthe response of the relay and gaseous conducting tube connected to eachof said conductors.

For a more complete understanding of the invention` reference may be hadto the follow ing detailed description taken in connection with theattached drawing which shows in Fig. 1 one embodiment of the inventioncomprising a keyset having ten numerical keys connected by twoconductors to separate sources of potential, each through the winding ofa three-position polarized relay and a gaseous' conducting device inparallel therewith the cathode of which extends to a relay and anothersource of potential. The polarized relays as well as those in thecathode circuits of the gaseous conducting devices work into a receivingapparatus comprising a plurality of groups of register relays and asteering circuit which may be operated to connect in succession eachgroup of register relays to the contacts of the polarized relays and therelays in the cathode circuits of each of the conducting tubes. Thedrawing also shows in Fig. 2 a pulse code table which indicates, foreach digit, the polarity of the potential applied to each of the twoconductors, the polarized relays and tube relays operated thereby andthe relays of a particular register which respond thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1, a key-set of ten keys is designated by the numerallli), the stationary springs of the keys of said key-set being connectedto one or both of the tip and ring control conductors IUI and Ili2,respectively, while the working springs of the keys are connected to thegrounded conductor I!) or to the positive terminal of battery ID3 thenegative terminal of which is grounded or to the negative terminal' ofbattery |04 the positive terminal of which is grounded as required forthe registration of the ten different digits according to the codeshown. The control conductor IGI terminates at its distant end in a partof the recording circuit which comprises a polarized relay TP, thewinding of which is connected to conductor IBI and to a battery thepositive. terminal of which is grounded and, also, to the anode of thegaseous conducting device TT the cathode of. which is connected to thewinding of relay TM and, therethrough, to a battery the positiveterminal of which is grounded. The ring conductor m2' terminates in thewinding of polarized relay RP the other side of which is connected to abattery the positive terminal of which is grounded and, also, to theanode of conducting tube RT whose cathode is connected to the winding ofrelay RM and, therethrough, to a battery the positive terminal of whichis grounded. The armatures of both polarized relays TP and RP are joinedby a conductor 95 to a conductor IDI which extends to the No. 1 armatureof the rst steering relay AL of the pair of relays AL and AC of whichthere are as many pairs as there are digit registers for the successiveregistration of each of a series of digits. The two stationary contactsof relays TP and RP disposed nearest to the neutral position of theirarmatures on either side thereof are grounded so that the operation ofthe armature or" either relay to the left or to the right will groundconductor |81 to function the steering circuit in a manner which isdescribed hereinafter. The outer right contact of relay TP, on the otherhand, is connected to conductor 4, which is oneY of four signalingconductors I, 2, 4 and 5 over which the registration of the digit in agroup of register relays determined by a particular pair of steeringrelays is controlled. The right outer contact of relay RP is connectedto signal conductor 5 while the contacts of relays TM and RM areconnected to conductors 2 and I, respectively, the latter being alsoconnected to the leit outer Contact of relay RP so that, if the relayoperates to the right, it will ground conductor 5 while if it operatesto the left, it operates conductor I. Conductor 2, on the other hand, isgrounded only when relay TM operates, while conductor I is groundedeither by relay RP operating to the left or by relay RM; relays TM andRMoperating only when the tubes TT and RT, respectively, are ionized.

The register shown to the right of relays 'I'P and RP comprises aplurality of pairs of steering relays AL, AC,-STAL, STAC and a separategroup of four register relays for each pair of steering relays, theregister relays controlled by any pair of steering relays having theirrespective circuits completed over conductors I, 2, 4 and 5 to whichground is applied for operating these relays in accordance with theoperation of relays TP, RP, TM and RM. The A relays, namely, relays Ai,A2, A4 and A5 controlled by the steering relays AL and AC are shown indetail while the relays of other registers such as those, for example,of the B register, C register-STA register are only conventionallyrepresented since they are identical in construction and function withrelays AI-A5.. It is to be understood, however, that while the inventionis being disclosed for purposes of illustration with the registerapparatus shown, the same is merely used herein by way of example as itis evident that any other type of register regardless of whether itcomprises switches, ionic devices or relays, could be used equally wellto register successive digits as recorded by the operation of relays TP,RP, TM and RM, provided that such registering apparatus is equipped witha transfer device of a kind that will cause the signaling conductors I,2, 4 and 5 to be transferred in succession to the settable registerswhich are to respond to the activation of said conductors.

It may be assumed that the register circuit is part of that largerorganization of circuits known as a sender by which automatic switchesare selectively controlled for establishing connections in response to asetting of the register circuit and that, as a result of such a senderbeing taken into use, oir-normal ground is provided at contacts ON andthat a circuit is completed by any suitable means for relay AL whichcauses it to operate, transfer conductor ID'I, over the No. l frontcontacts of relay AL being advanced to the winding of relay BL of thenext pair of steering relays, and a circuit for relay AC is completed bythe operation of relay AL, said circuit extending from ground over theNo. 2 contacts or relay AL, No. 5 contacts of relay BC, winding of relayAC, through controllable means in the sender., Winding of relay AL tobattery. Relay AC operates and locks in series with relay AL under thecontrol of the No. 5 contacts of relay BC.

It will now be assumed that the digit is to be registered on the groupof relays AI-A5. According to the pulse code chart shown in the drawing,the registration of the digit 0 requires a ground connection to the tipconductor |0|. Accordingly, when digit key 0 is depressed, ground onconductor |00 is applied over the lower contacts of digit key 0 andthence to the tip conductor |0| thereby closing the circuit of relay TP.Now relay TP is so poled that the current flowing through its Winding asa consequence of its circuit being completed by ground on conductor |0|is in a direction to cause its armature to engage its left contact, andsince this contact is grounded, ground will therefore be applied to thesteering conductor |01 over which a circuit will be completed for relayBL, which circuit extends from ground on said conductor |01, No. 1 frontcontacts of relay AL, winding to relay BL to battery. Relay BL operatesand, over its No. 2 contacts and the No. 5 contacts of relay CC, appliesshunt ground to the right terminal of the winding of relay BC, the otherside of which is held grounded by ground on conductor |01. Now accordingto the pulse code, the registration of the 0 digit is effected bycausing none of the relays of a particular register to be operated.Since relay AC of the rst pair of steering relays is already operatedfor the purpose of registering a particular digit on the group of relaysAI-A5, then the registration of the 0 digit therein by the applicationof ground to the tip conductor |0| and the consequent operation ofpolarized relay TP whereby its armature engages its left contact willleave the register relays AI--A in their unoperated position since noneof the signal conductors 2, 4 and 5 is grounded. When the key 0 isrestored, ground is removed from the lower contacts of said key and,consequently, from conductor |0I, whereupon the armature of relay TPwill be restored to its neutral position by the force of the retractilespring connected to the right side of the armature. Ground beingthereupon disconnected from conductor |01, the shunt around the windingof relay BC is removed, whereupon said relay will now operate in serieswith relay BL over a circuit which may be traced from battery throughthe winding of said relay BL, winding of relay BC, No. 5 contacts ofrelay CC to ground on the No. 2 contacts of relay BL. Relay BC, inoperating, opens the locking circuit of relays AC and AL causing both ofthem to release, in consequence of which the signaling conductors l, 2,4 and 5 are switched out of engagement with the windings of the iirstgroup of register relays AI-AE and into engagement with the winding ofrelays Bl-B5 (not shown) connected to the lower armatures of theoperated relay BC. The next digit that will be transmitted by thedepression of the appropriate key in key-set |00 will now be registeredon the group of relays BI-B5 of the B register.

Let it be assumed that the digit to be registered on relays Bi-B5 is thedigit which, according to the code chart, requires that negativepotential be applied to the ring conductor |02 and that no potential orground be applied to the tip conductor |0|. Accordingly, when the digitkey I is depressed, a circuit is completed extending from negativebattery |04, lower contacts of key ring conductor |02, winding of relayRP to battery. Relay RP operates and since negative battery'has beenapplied to the conductor |02,

the polarity is such that the current iiowingthrough winding of relay RPwill cause its armature to swing to the left and engage the group ofcontacts on the left side of the relay whereupon ground is again appliedto conductor |01 and, also, to signal conductor Ground on conductor |01completes the circuit for relay CL over the No. 1 back contacts of relayAL, No. l front'contacts of relay BL, winding of relay CL to battery,causing said relay to operate and establish a shunt around the windingof relay CCk by Way of ground on its No. 2 contacts and the No. 5contacts of the lower relay inthe next pair of relays (not shown) of thesteering circuit, to ground on conductor |01. The ground on conductornow completes a circuit for relay B| (not shown) which extends fromground on said conductor, the No. 1 contacts of relay BC, winding ofrelay BI to battery. Relay Bl operates and locks to oil-normal groundover its own contacts and, by so operating and locking, registers thedigit in the group of register relays B|-B5. When key is released, relayRP is restored to its neutral position by the force of the retractilespring connected to the right side of the armature, ground isdisconnected from conductor |01 and the sho-rt circuit around relay CCis thereby removed, causing said relay to operate and lock in serieswith relay CL over a circuit completed from battery through the Windingof relay CL, winding of relay CC, No. 5 contacts of the relaycorresponding to relay CC in the next pair (not shown) of relays of thesteering circuit, to ground on the No. 2 contacts of relay CL. Relay CC,in operating, opens the circuit of relays Bl and'BC, but the former(which is identical with relay A!) is locked to o-normal ground and isthereby unaiected by the removal of ground from conductor l, While thelatter disconnects the group of signaling conductors l, 2, 4 and 5 fromthe register relays B|-B5. Since relay CC is operated, these conducto-rsare now connected severally to the windings of the next group of relaysCI-C5. Since relay B| is locked to off-normal ground, the registrationof the second digit remains locked thereby in the B register, While thenext digit that will be transmitted by the depression of the appropriatekey at key-set |00 will be registered in the third group of registerrelays C|-C5 of the C register.

It is not thought necessary to describe the further operation of theregister circuit in response to the grounding of the signal conductorsv2, 4 and 5. Whether the digit depressed is registered in the iirst groupof relays or any intermediate group of relays or in the last group ofrelays depends upon the condition of the steering relays which, in turn,are operated sequentially upon the release of the key to prepare theregister for the subsequent operation of the key. In describing,therefore, the registration of other digits, said registrations will bedescribed, for simplicity, with reference to relays AI-A5 of the Aregister. Assuming, therefore, that the digit 2 is to -be registered,then, according to the code chart, a positive potential is to be appliedto the tip conductor |0| and no potential is to be applied to the ringconductor |02. Accordingly, upon the depression of key 2, a circuit iscompleted from positive battery |03, lower contacts of key 2, tipconductor |0l,

Winding of relay TP to battery. The polarity of the two batteries,namely, the battery |03 and the battery connected to the winding ofrelay TP causes current to ow in the direction that will set thearmature of relay TP against its left contact, causing thereby thegrounding of conductor |01 and the operation of a steering group ofrelays in the manner already described. The value of the positivevoltage |03, however, is such that the difference in potential betweenthe portion of said voltage applicable to the anode of tube TT and thatof the negative battery connected to the cathode of said tube throughthe winding of relay TM causes the tube 'I'I to break down and ionizewhereupon the tube is rendered conducting across the gap that separatesits anode and cathode electrodes and a current will be establishedtherethrough, through the winding of relay TM, lower contacts of key 2,to battery |03, and will cause said relay to operate. Relay TM, uponoperating, grounds conductor 2 and thereby completes a circuit over theNo. 2 contacts of relay AC, winding of relay A2 to battery, causing saidrelay to operate and lock over its contacts to off-normal ground oncontacts ON. When the key is released, posif tive battery isdisconnected from the tip conductor |0|, the armature of relay TP iscaused to assume its neutral position thereby disconnecting ground fromconductor |01 and causing, in consequence thereof, the advance of thesteering circuit, while the gaseous conducting tube TT is quenched andrelay 'I'M restored to normal, thereby removing ground from conductor 2.

The registration of digit 3 which follows the closure of key 3 iseffected, according to the code chart, by applying positive potential tothe tip conductor |0| and negative potential to the ring conductor |02.Hence upon the depression of said key, a circuit is completed frompositive battery |03, upper contacts of key 3 to the tip conductor 0|and thence to the winding of relay 'I'P to battery. As in the case ofthe registration of the digit 2, the completion of this circuit willcause the armature of relay TP to engage its left contact and therebyground conductor |01 and, also, to ionize tube T'I for operating relayTM which, upon operating, grounds conductor 2 to cause the operation andlocking of relay A2. The connection of negative battery |04 to the ringconductor |02 causes a circuit to be completed from negative battery|04, lower contacts of key 3, conductor |02, winding of relay RP tobattery. The direction of current flowing in this circuit will cause thearmature of relay RP to swing to the left in contact with its left groupof contacts, thereby grounding conductor |01 and signaling conductor thelatter completing a circuit over the No. 1 contacts of relay AC, windingof relay A|, to battery. Relay A| operates and locks to off-normalground. The operation and locking ofv relays AI and A2 in response tothe grounding of' conductors and 2, respectively, by the operation ofrelays TM and RP, respectively, registers the digit 3 on relays AI andA2 of the A register.

The registration of digit 4 is accomplished by connecting negativebattery to the tip conductor I0 In this case, the current flow is thereverse of what it is when positive battery |04 is connected to saidconductor for the registration of digit 2 and, consequently, thearmature of relay TP, in operating, is caused to engage its right groupof contacts, whereupon steering conductor |01 and signaling conductor 4are grounded, the latter completing a circuit through the No. 3 contactsof relay AC, winding of relay A4 to battery.

Relay A4 operates and locks to off-normal ground to register the digit4.

For the registration of digit 5, ground is applied to ring conductor|02. Since the polarity of relay RP is opposite to that of relay TP, thedirection of current which results from a closure of the ground circuitis such as to cause the armature of relay RP to engage its right set ofcontacts whereupon ground is applied to conductor |01 and to signalconductor 5, the latter completing a circuit through the No. 4 contactsof relay AC, relay A5 to battery. Relay A5 operates and then locks tooff-normal ground, thereby registering the digit 5. For the registrationof digit 6, positive potential is applied to the ring conductor |02. Thedirection of' current in this case is the same as that due to theapplication of ground to conductor |02, and the armature of relay RP,therefore, engages its right group of contacts in consequence of whichsteering conductor |01 and signaling conductor 5 are both grounded. Thevalue of the potential applied to the anode of tube RT is such that thediierence between it and the negative potential applied to the cathodeof said tube through the winding of relay RT is sufcient to break downthe tube in consequence of which relay RM operates on the currentflowing through the conducting tube and grounds signaling conductor Aspreviously described, ground on conductor 5 will cause the operation ofrelay A5, while ground on conductor will cause the operation of relayA|, and the operation of these two relays registers the digit 6 on thegroup of relays Al-A5.

In the same manner, it may be easily seen that the digits 1, 8 ands maylikewise be registered by the application of appropriate potentials tothe tip and ring conductors |0| and |02 in accordance with the codechart, to cause the operation of the impulse response relays shownopposite the digit indicated thereon and the register relays whichoperate from said relays. Since the circuits are all patently clear fromthe numerous examples already given, their detailed description andoperation are omitted.

While I have described my invention and the means for utilizing the samein connection with its specic application to a pulse recording circuitfor the registration of digits transmitted from a key-set, it is to beunderstood that vari-y ous other applications and embodiments thereofmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimedy is:

1. In a telephone system, an impulse sending device, a registeringdevice, a two-conductor con-y trol circuit extending from said sendingdevice. to said registering device, a plurality of threepositionpolarized relays and ionic relays associated with the conductors of saidcontrol circuit, and means controlled by said sending device forktransmitting impulses of different polarity over either conductor singlyor over both of the conductors of said control circuit to selectivelyoperate said polarized relays and said ionic relays.

2. In a telephone system, an impulse sending device, a registeringdevice, a two-conductor control circuit extending from said sendingdevice to said registering device, a plurality of three-positionpolarized relays and a plurality of ionic devices in said registeringdevice associated with the conductors of said control circuit. relaysresponsive to the operation of said ionic devices, means controlled bysaid sending device for transmitting impulses of different polarity overeither conductor singly or over both of the conductors of said controlcircuit to selectively operate said polarized relays, said ionic devicesand the relays operable by said ionic devices.

3. In a telephone system, an impulse sending device, a registeringdevice, a two-conductor control circuit extending from said sendingdevice to said registering device, a three-position polarized relay anda gaseous conducting tube in said registering device associated witheach conductor of said control circuit, respectively, each of said tubesbeing arranged to be selectively operable in response to theapplicationY of a potential of denite polarity and value to theassociated control conductor, means in said sending device forselectively applying potentials of appropriate polarity and value toeither conductor singly or to both of said conductors for operating saidpolarized relays and said gaseous conducting tubes connected thereto.

4. In a telephone system, a. key-set, a registering device, atwo-conductor control circuit extending from said key-set to saidregistering device, a three-position polarized relay and a gaseousconducting tube in said device associated with one conductor of saidcircuit and a threeposition polarized relay and another gaseousconducting tube associated with the other conductor of said circuit,both of said tubes being selectively operable in response to theapplication of a potential of deiinite polarity and value to theassociated conductor, means controlled by the keys of said key-setfor'selectively applying appropriately poled operating potentials ofdefinite value to either conductor singly or to both of said conductorsfor operating said polarized relays in accordance with the polarities ofthe potentials applied to said conductors and said gaseous conductingtubes in accordance to the values of said potentials, and registerscontrolled by said polarized relays and said gaseous conducting tubes.

5. In a telephone system, a key-set, a register-k ing device, atwo-conductor control circuit extending from said key-set to saiddevice, a threeposition polarized relay and a gaseous conducting tubeconnected in parallel to each of said two conductors, each relay andeach tube being selectively operable, respectively, in response to theapplication of a potential of proper polarity or value to theirassociated circuit conductor, means controlled by the digit keys of saidkey-set for selectively applying to either or both conductors potentialsof appropriate polarity and value to selectively operate said relays andsaid tubes, and means responsive to the selective operation of saidrelays and said tubes for permanently registering the digit indicated bythe operation there- ROBERT O. SOFFEL.

